Case Studies: Q&A with Colin Cookney

“…the honest truth is that I wish I’d been there earlier, because I’m impressed.”

Q: What do you do?

A: I’m a freelance architectural technologist with over 40 years’ experience in construction. I provide everything a builder needs to do a building, from working drawings and specifications to plans and elevations. I’ve undertaken many different projects – in fact there’s very little I haven’t done. I’ve worked for everyone from large organisations to private individuals, including on an award-winning £8.6m eco-friendly housing association development, a 32-storey residential scheme, a footballer’s mansion and Ministry of Defence works including a tank hangar extension, new offices and a new naval training school, nuclear facilities and the largest aircraft maintenance hangar (at the time it was built) in the UK.

Q: What do you like most about freelance work?

A: What I like most is the freedom – working when I want to and from my own place.

Q: What led to you choosing Meades Contractors?

A: Two words: Yasmin and Mohidin. I started looking for a new accountant and I found Meades online. When I rang up, I recognised the name – I’d worked with Yasmin before – and that was decision made. She knows her stuff and she’s always very helpful.

Q: What do you like about working with them?

A: I initially went there because of Yasmin but the honest truth is that I wish I’d been there earlier because I’m impressed. The whole team seem good. They’re very helpful. It just seems that they’re very able to do what they say they will. And being a non-accountant, that’s vital for me. They’re a little bit more expensive but I’m a great believer that you get what you pay for.

Q: How do you find the service?

A: It’s peace of mind more than anything. By bundling FreeAgent in, I can keep an eye on how much I can pay myself, and my cash flow. I’m planning on using it to decide when I can go on holiday.

Q: What are the main benefits for you of working with Meades Contractors?

A: It’s very, very simple – I don’t have to worry about things I don’t know. It’s a good value for money package. I don’t have to worry about whether I’ve filled in the right bit of paper. I’m a great believer in paying others for skills I do not possess such as accounting. Meades fit the bill admirably, plus I get the added bonus of well-informed advice.

Q: What about the added value?

A: It’s a real bonus that Meades include FreeAgent in the price because I was looking at that anyway. They keep me informed on developments…I get a short email saying something like ‘this is the latest on IR35’ or that tax rates are changing, or telling me how much to pay myself. Using Meades as my accountants and the bundled FreeAgent mean I can focus on bringing work into my practice.